1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to halt ICE's planned expansion in Maryland, specifically the transfer of approximately 100 vehicles from Minneapolis to a warehouse facility at 16220 Wright Road in Williamsport and the movement of 90 unmarked vehicles currently staged in Baltimore. The Department of Homeland Security purchased the Williamsport warehouse earlier this year and is converting it into a detention center with capacity for 1,500 people. These vehicle transfers follow ICE's recent federal solicitation to nearly triple detainee capacity in the Baltimore region, representing a dramatic escalation of enforcement operations. This expansion comes just two weeks after Howard County passed emergency legislation blocking a planned ICE detention facility in Elkridge, demonstrating clear community opposition to these plans. The vehicles being transferred from Minneapolis were used during a months-long operation that resulted in the detention of thousands of people and the deaths of two American citizens at the hands of masked agents. Both incidents were captured on widely circulated video. Bringing this equipment to Maryland signals an intention to replicate those tactics here. Federal procurement records, staged vehicle fleets, and accounts from inside the Baltimore field office all indicate a significant expansion of enforcement activity in our region in the coming weeks. However, the Hagerstown warehouse is reportedly not ready for human habitation, and Baltimore facilities are already overcrowded. Tripling detainee capacity under these conditions raises serious questions about safety, due process, and humane treatment. I urge you to investigate these transfers, demand transparency from ICE about their operational plans in Maryland, and use your authority to prevent this expansion. Our communities deserve answers about how federal agencies intend to operate within our state, particularly when those operations involve equipment associated with documented civil rights violations and loss of life.